Music-leaf turner.



A. I. JOHN'SGN.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 9, 1909.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

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A. I. JOHNSUN.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER, APPLICATION FILED Nov. s, 1909.

976,806. f Patented Nov.22, 1910.

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nUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST IVAR JOHNSON, OF CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Music-LEAF TURNER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AUGUST Ivan JOHN- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Concord, county of Merrimack, and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the device in position for operation, that is, with the leaf turning arms under tension, a part of the sheet clamping devices being` broken away; Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line 2-Q of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the leaf turning arms in both positions, in dotted lines under tension ready to be turned and in full lines after they have been released and turned; and Figs. 4t, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, l0 and ll views of details hereinafter more particularly set forth.

The obj ect of this invention is to provide a simple device adapted for detachable attachment to any key-board musical instrument and so constructed that the player' may readily turn the leaves in succession by depression of a single key or lever which shall be so located as to be within convenient reach of the fingers of the operator as more fully hereinafter set forth.

The letter a designates a U-shaped clamping base piece whose upper arm is provided with a clamp screw whereby the device may be detachably clamped to a convenient part of the instrument. Projecting laterally from the upper end of this clamp is a pin c cylindrical in cross section, and mounted slidingly and rotatively on this pin is a support or base (Z, this base piece being adjust-ably clamped in position on the pin by means of a set screw e. This base carries a means for holding or clamping the piece of music at the folded or back edge thereof and also means for turning the sheets while so held. This special form of supporting and adjusting the device enables the apparatus to be attached to instruments of various f makes and yet have the music located cen- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 22, 1910.

Application filed November 9, 1909.

Serial No. 526,988.

from the other laterally or flat-wise and is made a little shorter than the other. The vertical bar f is provided at its upper end with a clamp g which is adapted to slide upwardly and downwardly on the bar, so that when the fold in the piece of music is placed between these bars f and f] and the resilient one f is forced in against the music, said clamp may be slid downwardly to lock the resilient arm in place and thus clamp the music in an upright position. The music is designated by the letter h in Fig. 3. The clamp g may be constructed in any suitable manner but I prefer that it shall comprise a vertical plate containing a vertical slot z' by means of which, together with a headed pin y' the clamp may be slidingly attached to the bar f, the shank 7s of this pin being elongated to prevent the clamp turning on said pin j. The upper end of the main plate of the clamp is bent laterally and then downwardly to form a spring finger Z which is adapted to engage the spring bar f and clamp it against the music sheets. A thumb piece m is provided for ease of manipulation.

Just back of the music clamping and holding means above described I fasten to the base rigidly a vertical cylinder n and in this cylinder I rotatively mount a vertical tube 0, the lower end of this cylinder fitting in a circular groove 29 in the base, which groove together with the cylinder n serves to hold the tube o upright and guide it in its movements. The lower end of the tube o is provided at diametrically opposite points with notches g. A coil spring 1 is inclosed between the cylinder n and a base portion of tube 0 and has its opposite ends connected respectively with the base CZ and an annular collar s on said tube 0, the tendency of this spring r being` to normally rotate the tube 0.

Hthin the tube 0 is rotatably mounted a rod t whose lower end is transversely notched at u and is fitted in a socket in the base d, which socket together with an annular collar 'u and a filling plug 'w in the upper end of tube 0, serves to guide said rod t in its rotative movements. A coil spring similar to the aforesaid spring i, tends to turn rod 25 in the same direction as said spring i tends to turn the tube 0.

Attached, one to the upper end of tube 0 and the other to the upper end of rod t, are horizontally projecting arms y, each of which at its outer end is provided with a suitable depending clamp a for detachable attachment to the respective upper edges of the music sheets. I have described and shown but two of these rotative posts and arms but it will be understood that any suitable number of them may be employed, so long as the inner post or posts are all inclosed within the outer one 0. Vithin the base d, which is made hollow to receive it is mounted an angle lever a whose horizontal arm projects outwardly through a slot in the base to a point within convenient reach of the operator, this horizontal arm being normally held up by a spring b. The upwardly projecting arm of this lever a is pivotally attached to a pin c whose free end extends backwardly through a hole in the base and engages in the notches g and u in the rotative posts. By depressing the linger-receiving part of the lever a the pin c will be drawn outwardly and the posts will thus be successively released thereby permitting their springs to successively turn the sheets of music. In turning the first sheet, of course, the operator simply withdraws pin c from the inner-most post, and then when the second sheet is to be turned the pin is drawn outwardly a little farther to release the second post, and so on until all the posts have been successively released. To prevent the thumb screw b marring the instrument, it is provided with a resilient cushion cl2. In Fig. 6 is shown a top plan view of this cushion Z2 showing the manner l of attaching the cushion to the end of the thumb-screw Z).

The tube n is locked to the base, against turning therein by a pin d; the tube or post 0 is locked against withdrawal from tube n but not against turning therein, by a suitable pin e; and the post t is locked against withdrawal from tubular post 0 but not against turning therein by a similar pin f carried by said post 0. It is of course understood that any other suitable device may be employed attaching these parts together in this manner.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device of the class set forth, a base and means for attaching it to its support, means mounted thereon for holding the music while being turned and means for turning the music sheet by sheet, said means consisting of a series of concentric upright posts each carrying a device for engaging a sheet of music, a spring for actuating each post, each post being fitted to rotate in a recess in the base and being provided with a notch in the part which is within the base, a radially slidable pin mounted in the base and engaging all said notches, a key for withdrawing said pin and thus releasing the posts successively, and a spring tending to hold said pin in engagement with all of said posts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses I this 8 day of November 1909.

AUGUST IVAR JOHNSON. Witnesses:

Oris Gr. HAMMOND, ANNE M. HURD. 

